Pathogens, such as bacteria, parasites, toxins, and viruses, have emerged as public health problems. Worldwide, pathogenic infections are responsible for more deaths than any other cause. At times, the pathogens are opportunistic when our resistance is low due to Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), immunosuppressive drug therapy, anticancer treatment, or other related factors. Food borne disease outbreaks, emergence of newer strains of drug-resistant bacterial pathogens without any forewarning (such as the recent outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome [SARS] in Asia), Bird Flu, or pathogens used as a potentially viable source of biological warfare weapons for mass destruction, necessitate the development of a rapid, portable, analytical device as an early warning system for real-time detection of bacterial pathogens in field conditions.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,931,788 discloses a flow over assembly for the detection of bacterial contamination in the food processing industry. The circuit content of U.S. Pat. No. 7,931,788 and U.S. Pat. No. 8,652,311 is incorporated by reference to it herein. The disposable element disclosed in the patent includes an immunosorbent layer having antibodies or antigen to a target microbe affixed thereto, a membrane or carbon powder in support of the immunosorbent layer, and three electrodes for detecting electrochemical signals. The disposable element may be used to measure the level of microbiological contamination in a solid sample caused by a predetermined microbe. This disposable sensor element cannot be used as a commercial product. However, the U.S. Pat. No. 7,931,788 patent is directed to the detection of food contaminations. The disposable element in U.S. Pat. No. 7,931,788 contains a pre-filter, three ports, and at least one electrode, all of which increase the size of the disposable element and add unnecessary costs to the assay. Further, in the patent, the filtration membrane used in support of the immunosorbent layer is not conductive, necessitating the presence of an electrode in close proximity to the membrane in order to accurately measure the changes in electron transfer. This application therein is a chip used to make a biosensor.
A new, simple, disposable element carbon strip chip is developed, designed, and tested. For commercialization, a need exists for a disposable sensor with Antigen or Antibodies to be immobilized so any analytes could be readily tested. Eliminating the bulky sensor was in the U.S. Pat. No. 6,180,335, and the U.S. Pat. No. 7,931,788. Therefore, a disposable element needs to be developed, designed, and tested. For commercialization with Antigen or Antibodies immobilized on the immunosorbent so any analytes could be readily tested. This is the subject of this patent application.